KA1 Mobilities
KA1 Accreditation Objectives
We are an accredited KA1 organisation, which means we have been officially approved under Erasmus+ Key Action 1 (KA1) to run mobility activities on an ongoing basis, rather than applying from scratch every year.
We carry our KA1 projects with members from our Community Education Network, under the umbrella of a Consortium. We do this to help the sector build capacity and access knowledge, good practice and build connections across Europe.
This is particularly important as the issues we now face are shared across the continent, and even the world. Connecting with the work being done elsewhere and understanding oneself as part of a strong web of cross-national, grassroots educational initiatives is more important than ever.
We carry out our accreditation under three main objectives.
O1: Strengthen, demonstrate and explore adult education’s role in creating more resilient democracy
European democracy has become increasingly vulnerable in recent years due to growing polarisation, increased mistrust in democratic practices and EU institutions, the spread of unregulated AI and online disinformation, and the rising cost of living, which has contributed to the marginalisation of under resourced communities. As a site for social transformation, adult and community education faces both opportunities and challenges in fostering democratic resilience. The broader EU trend of weakening democracy is also being reflected at community level, where violence, anti-social behaviour, anti-migrant sentiment, and polarisation disproportionately affect lower-skilled individuals and negatively impact the social fabric of local communities.
It is therefore necessary to support adult and community education in addressing the challenges posed by the increasing vulnerability of democracy, while also strengthening its capacity to foster democratic resilience. The EU Action Plan for Basic Skills (literacy, mathematics, science, digital, and citizenship) recognises that these competencies are at the core of active participation in democratic societies. Adult and community education plays a key role in addressing these skills gaps. At the same time, the Action Plan identifies three key factors that support the development of basic skills in educational settings: boosting basic skills teaching and learning; supporting educators; and enabling supportive learning environments.
The mobilities envisaged under this objective directly address the latter two factors identified in the Action Plan. By designing mobility activities for adult and community educators working with disadvantaged learners, as well as for lower-skilled adult learners themselves, we aim to create opportunities for mutual learning and exchange with counterparts across Europe facing similar challenges. This learning will involve sharing experiences, case studies, best practices, and pedagogical approaches, with a particular focus on strengthening democratic resilience.
These activities will support educators and contribute to the creation of enabling learning environments, while also advancing several of the call’s objectives: promoting inclusion, diversity, tolerance, and democratic participation; enhancing knowledge of shared European heritage and diversity; and improving the quality of formal, informal, and non-formal adult education in Europe in relation to key competences as defined by the EU framework (2018), including basic skills (literacy, numeracy, and digital skills) and other life skills. They will also help build the capacity of adult education providers to deliver high-quality mobility projects.
Finally, this objective is aligned with AONTAS’s mission, values, and strategic plan. In particular, it strengthens our capacity to act as a catalyst for change within the adult and community education sector in Ireland by connecting and engaging stakeholders, enabling change, and empowering transformation.
O2: Mapping and Implementing Innovative Pedagogies for Transformative Adult and Community Education
The rapid social changes brought about by climate change, technological advancement, and the rise of far-right governments make it challenging for small, community-based grassroots organisations to develop pedagogically appropriate resources and tools to help local communities navigate these changes and take appropriate action. The smallest and most community-based organisations often face difficulties in accessing funding to support innovation in their practice. This objective addresses this gap by enabling cross-cultural learning and capacity building for adult and community educators working with disadvantaged learners at grassroots level. It is envisaged for members of the Community Education Network of our organisation, a network that connects and supports over 90 grassroots community education organisations across the country. Selected participants will engage in mobility activities in other EU countries with the aim of learning innovative methodologies, including arts-based pedagogies, non-formal education methods, AI and digital tools, citizenship and basic skills, and other pedagogical approaches that foster personal and societal transformation.
This objective responds to the call’s aims of fostering the participation of organisations working with disadvantaged learners, small adult education providers, newcomers to the Programme, and less experienced organisations; strengthening the European dimension of teaching and learning; supporting the development of professional networks across Europe; extending and diversifying the adult education offer through the professionalisation of educators and capacity building of adult education providers; and simplifying the implementation and accessibility of high-quality teaching and learning programmes across all forms of adult education, while ensuring they remain relevant to the needs of individuals and society as a whole.
Notably, this objective is not exclusive to adult and community educators. Opportunities may also arise for learners, as co-participation and the inclusion of the learner voice in the design of educational experiences are core principles of adult education, central both to transformative learning and to AONTAS’s values. Educators interested in co-designing programmes with learners may participate in relevant mobilities together with those learners.
O3: Develop Capacity to Advocate for Adult and Community Education
Civil society and grassroots adult and community education organisations are not neutral actors in our societies; they are political actors that strive to improve the lives and living conditions of individuals and their communities. In the case of grassroots adult and community education, they specifically focus their work on the most marginalised and at-risk groups in society. This political dimension of adult and community education has become even more important in recent years, as evidence shows that civil society organisations, including those providing education, have increasingly become targets of far-right movements. Therefore, there is a need to equip adult and community education learners and practitioners with the skills and knowledge necessary to counter far-right narratives, defend the right to education more broadly, and ensure that public funding prioritises initiatives that contribute to the improvement of society. Advocacy for basic rights has historically been a foundational element of adult and community education.
At AONTAS, members of the Community Education Network have been actively engaged in advocacy work by informing and shaping our annual national campaigns, Policy Days, policy submissions, and broader policy-level engagement. Increasingly over the past two years, members have taken on a more active role in the advocacy space. Mobilities under this objective will equip CEN members with stronger skills, resources, knowledge, and EU-level alliances to advocate for their own work more effectively.
Learners may also participate in these mobilities. At institutional level, it is widely recognised that the most powerful form of advocacy comes from those directly affected by services—namely, learners themselves. In recognition of this, AONTAS has played a key role in strengthening the Learner Voice in Ireland. This has been achieved in several ways, including training educators and learners across the sixteen Education and Training Boards, supporting the establishment of Learner Voice Councils, and hosting Learner Voice Forums.
As such, the mobilities under this objective will focus on learning opportunities across Europe for both educators and learners, aimed at strengthening their capacity to advocate, build networks, develop meaningful alliances, communicate success stories, engage with wider publics, and influence policy. In particular, they will focus on mobilising adult education actors—educators and learners—as well as local communities, migrant communities, local authorities, and policymakers within inclusive and democratic European frameworks. This directly addresses the call’s objectives of promoting inclusion, diversity, tolerance, and democratic participation; enhancing knowledge of shared European heritage and diversity; and supporting the development of professional networks across Europe. It also aligns with AONTAS’s mission to advocate for empowering adult learning that drives social equality, justice, and collective action across the island of Ireland.
Our Consortium
Our current consortium includes nine community education organisations from the Community Education Network (CEN) across Ireland:
- Alternatives to Violence Project Ireland
- An Cosán
- Blue Teapot
- Coolock Community Development
- Welcome English Language Centre Project
- South Westmeath Employment, Education & Training Services CLG
- Longford Women’s Link
- The Matt Talbot Community Trust
- Dublin Northwest
Compliance with the Public Sector Equality and Human Rights Duty
Consortium Members are committed to upholding equality, human rights, and inclusion throughout the implementation of Erasmus+ Adult Education Accreditation activities.
In line with the Public Sector Equality and Human Rights Duty, this Consortium is committed to:
- Eliminate discrimination;
- Promote equality of opportunity and treatment for all persons; and
- Protect the human rights of participants, staff, learners, and stakeholders involved in Project activities.
Funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA). Neither the European Union nor EACEA can be held responsible for them.
